Audemars Piguet certainly know how to party. They celebrated their 135 anniversary two weeks ago at “Choice!” restaurant on the third floor of Toyko’s prestigious Ark Mori building. With 500 VIPs, celebrities and media in attendance, they commemorated the date with the launch of the New Limited Edition Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Jarno Trulli Chronograph.

Audemars Piguet sure know how to party

Historic Audemars Piguet watches, each representing 135 years of history were on display, specially flown in from the AP museum in Le Brassus. Audemars Piguet has an immense history, perhaps you’ll be familiar with the last heritage timepiece last seen in a theatre near you- the Audemars Piguet pocket watch featured in Peter Chan’s Sun Yet Sun escape from City of Victoria (now known as Hong Kong) movie – Bodyguards and Assassins.

Last seen in Bodyguards and Assassins

Audemars Piguet opened its first branch in Geneva in 1889 making its own watch components. They had achieved such a great reputation for craftsmanship and strict quality control that luxury brands like Tiffany & Co, Cartier and Bulgari began rebranding and selling Audemars Piguet timepieces under their own house brands.

Cooperating with Jaeger-LeCoultre, they gave the world the thinnest automatic movement- it was then that they began the tradition of the gold rotor in their self-winding movements whcich continues today in the New Limited Edition Royal Oak Offshore Jarno Trulli Chronograph. The first “Royal Oak” designed by Gerald Genta, was made in 1972.

With ambassador Jarno Trulli present at the unveiling of his personal timepiece, Mr. Wolfgang Sickenberg, Chief Sales Officer of Audemars Piguet announced the availablity of this exclusive model for retail starting on October 8 in Tokyo Japan, with a worldwide release towards the end of 2010.